Volunteers needed to share stories with children

Wednesday

Mar 27, 2013 at 3:00 AM

A moment after putting her books away in her bag, Ann Lazarus was surrounded by eight children ages 2 and 3. The kids circled around her, gave her a big group hug and then came back one by one for individual hugs.

By JOEY MILLWOODTimes-News Staff Writer

A moment after putting her books away in her bag, Ann Lazarus was surrounded by eight children ages 2 and 3. The kids circled around her, gave her a big group hug and then came back one by one for individual hugs.Lazarus had just finished reading several library books to the kids. They listened quietly as she flipped from page to page, and the excitement registered on their faces even as she got up to leave. Lazarus is a volunteer with Once Upon A Time Reading Program offered through the Children and Family Resource Center. The program currently has six volunteers, well below the number needed in the community, however. Volunteers go to early learning centers for a half an hour each week to read to children. Lazarus reads at The Beacon, a child development center at 901 Robinson Terrace in Hendersonville. There are 70 places volunteers could be used in Henderson County, said Noreen Quinn said, Early Learning Center coordinator for the Children and Family Resource Center in Hendersonville.“I think it's very important for the children,” Quinn said. “Any kind of exposure to good literature is valuable.”Melissa Smith, a teacher at The Beacon, is just happy for the variety it adds to her classroom.“They love it when people come in and read to them,” she said. “Each person that reads has their own way of bringing a story to life.”For Lazarus, the journey to Smith's classroom began a year ago. She went to the resource center and asked if there was anything that she could do. She went through the training process and began reading. Lazarus goes to the library each week to find books that she knows the children will enjoy. “You have to kind of emote, which is what I think keeps them going,” she said. “I love it. It's my great joy every week.”And those little arms that stretched out for big hugs are what keeps Lazarus coming back. “It makes you feel like they really enjoy what you're doing,” she said.Those kinds of moments make volunteering with the program rewarding, Quinn said. She takes every moment to teach the kids about the library, but also soaks up the adoration from the smiling faces.“They love that you've taken the time to come see them,” she said. “As a volunteer, it's very heartwarming.”To volunteer or for more information on volunteering, call 828-698-0674 or visit www.childrenandfamily.org.Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or at joey.millwood@blueridgenow.com.